Defiance Splits with Hanover; Takes Overall Series

DEFIANCE, OHIO  -- The Defiance College baseball team split a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Hanover (Ind.) College to complete the three game series with the Panthers at Craig A. Rutter Field.  With the split, the Yellow Jackets ended with the weekend with a 2-1 series victory in the first conference games of the season.

In game one, Defiance (9-6, 2-1 HCAC) struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning and two more runs in the second.  The Jackets' run in the first came on a fielder's choice with runners at the corners which allowed senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) to score from third base.  The two runs in the second scored via a RBI single by Kohlhofer and another fielder's choice later in the inning that allowed junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) to cross homeplate to make the score 3-0.

Hanover (4-12, 1-2 HCAC) then took the lead in the top of the fourth with a fleury of runs, crossing the plate five times to jump ahead, 5-3.  But the Panther lead was short as Defiance regained control with a three-run fifth that included a RBI-single by freshman Michael Gilliland (Napoleon) and a two-RBI double by fellow freshman Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East) putting the Jackets back out on top, 6-5.

The Panthers tallied the game-tying run in their ensuing at-bats with a solo homerun making the score 6-6.  Hanover then had bases loaded in the seventh with two outs and plated a run on a hit by pitch.  The lone run would be the only score the Panthers could muster as DC recorded the final out of the inning on the very next at-bat, keeping the game within striking distance, 7-6.

Defiance would get the potential tying run on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but could not get the run past homeplate as Hanover hung on for the 7-6 victory.

DC tallied six hits in game one with six different players each recording a base hit.  Kohlhofer ended the game one-of-five to go along with a run scored and a RBI.  Gilliland ended the game one-of-three overall with two runs scored and a RBI.  Stippich went one-of-four with two RBI to round out the leaders.

On the mound for the Jackets, junior Nick Peters (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) started the game and pitched three and two-thirds innings allowing five runs on nine hits and had two strikeouts.  Sophomore Cody Nelson (Clayton, Mich./Hudson) pitched two-and-a-third innings in relief and gave up one run on three hits and tallied a strikeout.  Both Peters and Nelson ended with a no decision.  Sophomore Jacob Green (Defiance) pitched the final three innings and struck out seven batters and gave up only one hit, but would end up as the pitcher of record with the lone run allowed to suffer the loss and drops to 0-2 overall for the season.

In the nightcap, Defiance struck early again.  This time with four runs in the bottom of the second inning that included a two-RBI triple by Reed.  DC's other runs came on a RBI-double by Kohlhofer and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance).  

Hanover got one of the runs back in the fourth, but the Jackets answered with a run of their own in the sixth thanks to a RBI-single by Stippich extending the margin back to four runs, 5-1.  The Panthers pulled to within three runs with a score in the eighth, but that would be the final run of the game as Defiance's Chris Douglas (Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western) pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning to earn the save and give the Jackets a 5-2 win.

Defiance recorded nine hits in game two with Gilliland finishing three-of-four with a pair of runs scored.  Reed went a perfect two-of-two with a run scored and two RBI.  Junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) completed the list of multi-hit performances recording two hits in three at-bats.

Junior Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) started at pitcher and went eight innings and allowed just two runs while striking out five batters.  He also recorded the win and improved to 4-0 overall for the season.  Douglas pitched a perfect ninth to claim his second save this year and had one strikeout.

Defiance will next travel to North Mancheter, Ind. for a HCAC single game against Manchester (Ind.) University on Tuesday, Mar. 29.  The first pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.